Questions over who exercises power in Cameroon during President Paul Biya’s prolonged absences have intensified, with growing scrutiny of the political networks surrounding the 93-year-old leader.
Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, has spent extended periods outside the country, raising concerns about how government decisions are made when he is not visibly directing state affairs.
A disagreement over road rehabilitation works in Yaounde in March, ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Cameroon in April, highlighted the tensions within the country’s administrative structure.
The dispute involved Housing and Urban Development Minister Celestine Ketcha Courtes and Yaounde City Mayor Luc Messi Atangana over the rehabilitation of a road along the papal visit route.
The incident renewed questions about competing centres of authority and the extent to which government officials exercise power independently of the president.
Cameroon’s Constitution grants the president extensive executive powers, including defining national policy, appointing the prime minister and other government officials, and serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
The prime minister heads the government and directs its activities within the framework of the president’s policies.
Under Section 10 of the Constitution, the president can delegate some of his powers to the prime minister, government ministers and senior administrative officials.
However, an absence from the country does not automatically transfer presidential authority to the prime minister. A temporary inability to perform presidential duties requires an express delegation of functions.
The government has not provided a detailed public account of whether such a delegation is in place during Biya’s prolonged absences.
One of the key figures in discussions about the management of presidential affairs is Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, the Secretary-General at the Presidency.
His official responsibilities include receiving presidential instructions, monitoring the implementation of presidential decisions and coordinating administrations attached to the presidency.
In February 2019, Biya signed Decree No. 2019/043, granting Ngoh Ngoh a permanent delegation of signature, allowing him to sign certain official documents on the president’s behalf.
However, the delegation of signature does not amount to a transfer of presidential powers or make Ngoh Ngoh the constitutional successor.
Other individuals mentioned in discussions about influence around the presidency include First Lady Chantal Biya and the president’s son, Franck Biya. Neither holds a constitutional executive position, and claims about their political influence remain difficult to independently establish.
The succession question has also gained prominence following a constitutional amendment approved on April 14, 2026, which reintroduced the office of vice president.
Under the revised constitutional provisions, the president appoints and can dismiss the vice president. The officeholder would assume the presidency in the event of the president’s death, resignation or permanent incapacity established by the Constitutional Council.
The vice president would serve the remainder of the presidential term.
If there is no vice president, or the officeholder cannot perform the role, the Senate president would become interim president pending an election held within 20 to 120 days. If the Senate president is unable to serve, the responsibility would pass to the Senate vice president.
However, as of November 10, no vice president had been publicly appointed, leaving the new succession arrangement without a designated officeholder.
Military changes during Biya’s absence have added another dimension to the debate. Reuters reported on August 4 that three presidential decrees reshuffled senior military leadership, including commanders in four of Cameroon’s five joint military regions.
The changes also included the promotion of the head of the Presidential Guard from colonel to brigadier general and the appointment of a new commander of the Rapid Intervention Brigade.
While some analysts have interpreted the reshuffles through the lens of political loyalty and presidential security, the decrees did not publicly explain the reasons behind the appointments.
The uncertainty comes as Cameroon faces security challenges, including a separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions and attacks by armed groups linked to Boko Haram in the Far North.
Opposition figures have also questioned the concentration of executive authority. Social Democratic Front leader Joshua Osih criticised the constitutional amendment during parliamentary debate in April, arguing that it reinforced centralisation of power.
Government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi defended Biya’s authority to make decisions on government appointments, telling French broadcaster RFI in August that the president was entitled to determine when to form a new government.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the exercise of presidential authority, some analysts maintain that state institutions continue to function.
The broader concern, however, is whether Cameroon can maintain coherent and accountable governance when so much political authority remains concentrated around one individual.
With questions over succession still unresolved, the country’s political future remains closely tied to decisions made within the presidency.
